Review by Choice Review
"What Native peoples often know by necessity all peoples need to realize," women's studies scholar Smith (Michigan) argues in this dense exploration of the possibility of alliances between groups stereotypically opposed to one another (in this case, Native peoples and the Christian Right). Configurations of religious and political identities "within Native and Christian Right communities are not givens," meaning that they can be "rearticulated into new configurations that favor progressive politics." Sometimes clearly articulated, occasionally concisely insightful, too often impenetrably overburdened with unnecessarily obscure jargon, the work's admirable project does not ultimately persuade as effectively as this reviewer had hoped. The book strangely begins on one tack--the possibility of Evangelical and Native alliances on causes (especially prison reform and Native rights) rooted in the theologies and historical experiences of both; by the conclusion, however, the Evangelicals have virtually dropped out completely, and the work has become a defense of Native women's commitment "to building movements that are liberatory for all peoples rather than a commitment to national chauvinism and insularity, of which Native peoples are often accused." Overall, a promising and provocative but frustratingly opaque analysis. Summing Up: Optional. Graduate students/faculty. P. Harvey University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
